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5月29日 Top 5 World Cup Favorites1. The Netherlands
Only one South American team has ever won the World Cup on European soil (in 1958, 17-year-old Pelé scored two goals in the final to help Brazil beat host Sweden). My best guess is that a European team will win it. Call it a hunch, but I have a sneaking feeling that Dennis Bergkamp will come out of retirement and lead the Oranje to victory.
2. Brazil
I can't take a team seriously if their best player is named Kaka. Dunga is fine, and so is Pujols, but Kaka? I know he puts an accent on the second syllable -- Kaká -- but that's just a workaround. If your last name is Shittehed or Pusse, throwing an accent onto the second syllable just shows denial: "Shittehéd makes a lovely touch and beats Pussé for a goal." Nope. Still sounds weird.
How does that single name thing work in Brazil? Does a player like Pelé give himself his own nickname, or does he have to reach a certain level before officials confer upon him a catchy name? I'd guess the former, which has to cause problems with mediocre players giving themselves a single name and then demanding to have Dooký on their jersey for their Tuesday night league matches. Or maybe they're given single names based on projected talent level, and guys like Kaka and Fred exceeded expectations. By the way, I don't care who Brazil is playing -- if Fred scores a goal, I'm going to whoop it up. (And yes, Fred is a real Brazilian player.)
3. Argentina
I just hope Argentina plays England. This is my favorite rivalry in sports. I'd rather see this matchup than a Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals or a Cowboys-49ers Super Bowl. Argentines are still upset about the Falklands War, while the English are still upset about the Mano de Dios. The World Cup games between them have been tight and well-played, if not well-officiated. By the way, I was in Peru during the Falklands war (I knew it then as Las Malvinas). If you think Fox News isn't exactly fair and balanced, here's a rough translation of the headlines I saw as the war progressed:
Argentina at War with England!
Argentine Forces Gaining Ground!
Argentina Routing the British!
British Forces Set to Withdraw!
Argentina Surrenders with Dignity
Most Peruvians recognized that American missionaries had little or nothing to do with a war between England and Argentina, but I experienced some hostility. A short drunk guy tried to beat me up in a tienda, and someone threw a cement block at me from the top of a building. It's an odd feeling to recognize a perilous situation only after the threat is gone. There's almost a sense of guilt for not being more emotional. My companion and I just kept walking, and one of us casually said, "You know, that could have killed us." "Yep." But I digress. Argentina-Inglaterra 2006!
4. England
I know, I know -- Rooney is out for at least the round robin play, and Owen is banged up and likely out of form. Even though England's two best scorers are out, guys like Gerrard, Terry, and Lampard can still control the match. Besides, losing a big name like Rooney can take the pressure off a team. I would put them up higher, but it looks like David Beckham is going to play. If he were Brazilian, his name would be Sissý.
5. Mexico
Yo, check it -- I'm going to be in Mexico when Mexico plays one of the preliminary games! If you disapprove of the exclamation mark, you (A) care nothing about sports in general or soccer in particular, (B) live somewhere in the world where everyone in your neighborhood is already piss-pants excited about the World Cup, or (C) have never experienced how thrilling it is to be in a country where everyone goes nuts for the World Cup. When I made travel plans, I wasn't even thinking about the World Cup, and now I'm looking forward to that Mexico game more than scuba diving or windsurfing. ¡Viva Mexico! ¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!
Also considered:
France - Thierry Henry is the most brilliant striker around, but France seems flat.
U.S. - No chance at all. They have to play above their heads just to get out of their group with Italy and the Czech Republic, two bona fide top 10 teams. And Ghana is no pushover.
Germany - They have home field advantage and they made it to the semi-finals in the last World Cup. You'd think they'd be considered favorites, but you don't hear a lot about them.
Italy - They were robbed by terrible officiating in 2002. This is my fourth favorite team, behind Peru, the U.S., and Mexico. Number 5 is England, for those of you who like a well-rounded list. 评论 (16)
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